Chapter 64: Freedom
After about ten minutes, Ruan Danling returned to the dining room.
Seeing that An Tong had finished the bowl of bird’s nest soup, she contentedly rubbed the girl’s head. “An’an, are you full? Shall I take you to have a look at the rooms?”
Afraid Ruan Danling would urge her to eat more, An Tong quickly stood up. “Alright, thank you, Auntie.”
On their way here, they’d had a simple meal at a highway service area. An Tong wasn’t hungry at all, but out of courtesy for her hostess’s enthusiastic hospitality, she forced herself to drink a full bowl of bird’s nest soup.
...
Leaving the dining room, Ruan Danling paused in the corridor, uncertain. She looked at the stairs leading to the second floor, glanced out the window, and seemed unable to make up her mind.
An Tong noticed her hesitation but didn’t know the cause. She accompanied her quietly, not asking any questions.
After a moment, Ruan Danling appeared to have reached a decision. She nodded to herself and led An Tong toward the elevator.
“An’an, let’s go check out the third floor first. If you’re not satisfied, I’ll take you outside to pick another.”
An Tong was taken aback and hurriedly declined, “Auntie, really any room will do. There’s no need to go to so much trouble.”
“The ones outside belong to our family too,” Ruan Danling said, taking her into the elevator. “Originally, I arranged for you and Xiao Jiu to stay in the lakeside house, but... Xiao Jiu isn’t very good at taking care of people. You’d be better off staying under my nose, so I can look after you at any time.”
As she spoke, the elevator stopped on the third floor.
Ruan Danling linked arms with An Tong and stood at the door of the side hall. “Do you like the layout here? Next to the side hall is the bedroom, and beside it are a tea room, a study, and a multi-purpose room. You and Xiao Jiu should have enough space here.”
An Tong followed her around the third floor, her expression a little awkward. It was hard to say if it was enough—why was there only one master bedroom in such a spacious third floor?
Scratching her ear, An Tong quietly asked, “Auntie, are there any guest rooms in the house?”
“Of course,” Ruan Danling replied, apparently unaware of An Tong’s implied meaning. She pointed outside the window. “That two-story red-roofed house is full of guest rooms. But we rarely have guests, so no one has stayed there in ages—it’s practically like a haunted house.”
An Tong: “...”
Ruan Danling then eagerly began introducing the master bedroom, touting the ergonomic mattress and infrared heat-sensing curtains.
At the end, she declared, “The curtains aren’t fully blackout; I’ll have the housekeeper order new ones. That way, you can sleep as late as you want.”
...
As evening approached, Ruan Danling’s favorite family drama was about to air.
An Tong was still slowly unpacking her suitcase. Her movements were so leisurely that it took her half an hour to fold just three pieces of clothing.
Ruan Danling wanted to help, but An Tong gently refused.
It was because the lady of the house had asked while folding a coat, “An’an, should this be folded horizontally or vertically?”
After years of living in comfort, Ruan Danling’s every need was attended to by dedicated staff. Not only did she never fold her own clothes, even shopping was done by brands sending over new collections each season for her to choose from.
She was truly a lady whose hands never touched trivial chores; such tasks were beyond her.
Past five o’clock, Ruan Danling couldn’t resist the lure of her drama and hurried downstairs to watch it.
An Tong saw her off at the elevator, then returned to the dressing room with a frustrated sigh.
How were she and Dr. Rong supposed to divide a single master bedroom?
Sharing a bed seemed far too strange...
Just imagining that scene, An Tong felt it was almost unbearable.
Not long after, a chime sounded from the third-floor elevator.
When Rong Shen found An Tong in the dressing room, he approached just in time to hear her sighing.
The girl sat cross-legged on the floor, her right hand propping up her chin, surrounded by her suitcase and a pile of clothes, clearly troubled by something.
He stood behind her, watching silently for a few seconds, his deep voice laced with amusement. “What’s on your mind?”
Lost in her worries, An Tong blurted out, “I’m worried... about how Dr. Rong and I are supposed to sleep.”
The dressing room fell silent for several seconds.
An Tong, still with her back to him, muttered to her suitcase, “If it really comes to it, I’ll just sleep on the floor.”
During her earlier conversation with Ruan Danling, she’d repeatedly insisted she wasn’t picky about accommodations. Now that a room was settled, if she changed her mind, she’d be contradicting herself.
An Tong let out a long breath, her gaze drifting to the glass door of the wardrobe, where a white shirt suddenly appeared.
The reflection in the glass, from her position on the floor, gave her a clear view of the doorway behind her.
She froze, then scrambled to her feet. “Dr. Rong...”
He stood a short distance away, one hand in his pocket, his sleeves rolled up, exuding the calm and leisure of a mature man. “What are you muttering to yourself in here?”
“Nothing,” An Tong replied, unsure whether he’d overheard. She improvised, “I was reciting vocabulary words.”
Rong Shen smiled, but didn’t call her out.
He glanced around the dressing room, his magnetic voice lifting slightly. “You’ve decided to stay on the third floor?”
An Tong kept her thoughts to herself and answered his question with another, “Are there other options?”
“Of course,” he said, turning to leave. “Follow me.”
...
Downstairs, the enormous projection screen played a melodramatic family drama. Ruan Danling watched intently, occasionally discussing the plot with the nearby maid, thoroughly engrossed.
She didn’t even notice Rong Shen and An Tong passing by.
After a five-minute walk, they arrived at the lakeside villa. They followed the path by the front door into the foyer.
“The third floor of the main house is quiet, but there are lots of staff coming and going—you might not be comfortable,” he said, walking through the corridor and gesturing toward the living room ahead. “Here, there are fewer people, so you’ll have more freedom.”
With her previous experience, An Tong didn’t rush to agree. “Can I take a look upstairs?”
Rong Shen understood perfectly and nodded. “Go ahead.”
An Tong hurried upstairs, returning lightly less than two minutes later.
She smiled, accepting his suggestion. “I’ll follow your advice, Dr. Rong. Let’s stay here. I’ll explain it to Auntie later.”
Dr. Rong was right; this was much more suitable than the main house.
At least there were two bedrooms upstairs—one for each of them, just right.
At that moment, Rong Shen spoke in a low voice, “I’ll speak to her. Come, have a seat.”
An Tong sat across from him. With no outsiders present, she was less reserved, her expression much more relaxed.
Outside, dusk was settling in, and the wind rippled the lake.
As she gazed out, her eyes drifted to the reflection in the glass.
When the man glanced sideways, their eyes met in the window.
An Tong opened her mouth, and for some reason, said, “Thank you.”
Rong Shen looked back, crossing his legs, an amused eyebrow raised. “What are you thanking me for?”
“For helping with the room,” An Tong replied honestly.
(End of chapter)